Engagement & Retention project | Threads
Threads
What is Threads?
Threads is a Social Media Platform with text-focused content designed for public conversations, real-time engagement, and building community around shared interests. It acts as a sister platform to Instagram, focusing more on personal connections and seamlessly integrating the two.
How does Threads work?
Threads acts as an extension of Instagram. It allows the user to sign up/log in using the existing Instagram account making it a seamless onboarding process for the user. The user has immediate access to all their Instagram followers to instantly connect with them.
Threads focuses on real-time updates and text-based interactions, allowing users to create regular text-based content along with few short time videos, photos and links. Users can interact with others through replies and build a community.
The real-time interactions have allowed threads to become a platform for keeping up with the trending topics & conversations.
Threads was launched in July 2023. Within the first five days of launch, Threads had 100 million user signups, setting a record for the fastest-growing consumer application. Today, Threads has about 275 million monthly active users.
Industry & Market Share
Threads was launched back in 2023 as a direct competitor to X (formerly Twitter), when people were becoming increasingly frustrated with X over the latest changes & an increase in hate speech. Some of its other competitors include Bluesky and Mastodon. Since its launch, Threads has expanded its user base leveraging Instagram heavily for cross-platform growth, and has positioned itself as one of the leading contenders In the Social Media Industry.
Name | X (Twitter) | Threads | Bluesky | Mastodon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Market share (approx) | 63% | 29% | 4% | 4% |
Core Value Proposition
Threads' main Core Value Prop is merging text-based content with the social and visual power of Instagram.
Core Value Props for Threads:
- Connects directly with user's Instagram account, accesses & leverages Instagram network for cross-platform integration
- Focuses on real-time conversation without the noise of multimedia content for community building
- Offers a new & minimalist interface, easy to use for both new & seasoned users.
- Encourages Community building with interactive & meaningful connections
User Experience of the Core Value Prop
- Users post regularly and connect with the community they have built
- Users interact with their favorite people on the platform
- Users share their life updates
- Users take part in the trending topics discussions and engage with others
- Users reach larger audience by sharing their content to Instagram through simple integration
Natural Frequency
Users | Frequency | Primary Goal | Features Used |
|---|---|---|---|
Casual | 2-3 times/week | Entertainment, Staying informed | Follows, Likes |
Core | 1 time/ day | Regular interaction, Social Presence | Follows, Likes, comments, reposts |
Power | 3+ times/ day | Maintain Visibility, Grow Influence (self/brand) | New Posts, Comments, Reposts, Instagram Sharing, Likes, Follows |
Engagement Framework
Key Tracking Metrics | Selected? | Rationale | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Depth | Freq x time/money | Users come to the app multiple times a day and spend a considerable amount of time to experience CVP | Primary | For threads, depth is the most important engagement framework as it drives user to experience the existing product's CVP again and again, driving higher engagement. |
Breadth | No. of different Products | Integration with Instagram enhances the CVP as it helps the user leverage existing network for engagement | Secondary | Threads uses Instagram as a Core driver of its CVP. but it secondary. |
Frequency | No. of visits /user /week | Users visit often to experience the CVP | No | While frequency is a factor, it does not drive engagement as a primary. |
Active User
Who is an Active User for Threads?
A user who interacts with the platform on a regular basis is considered an active User. For Threads, any user who does the following actions on daily/weekly basis is considered and active user.
- Engages with the platform - likes, comments, reposts or creates a new post
- Builds community - follows people, responds to notification, joins conversations
- Leverages Instagram - shares threads on Instagram or connects with Instagram network
Retention
Retention Rate for most Social Media Platforms. Source
Rate | |
D1 | 26.3% |
D7 | 9.3% |
D30 | 3.9% |
Retention Curve Flattens after 30 days as per the industry for most social media apps.
What features drive the best Retention?
ICP 1 | ICP 2 | ICP 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
Retention | High | Moderate | Low |
Reason for retention |
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Channels |
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Churn
What are the top reasons for Churn?
Negative Actions to look for
- App Uninstalled
- Mute App Notification: Can show user is getting frustrated from the app notifications and does not want to visit more often
- Low Interaction Frequency: If the users engagement on platform hs decreased (such as comments, likes, follows etc)
- Longer inactive Period: User is not logging in for several days or weeks
- Content Skipping: If user is not engaging with any content on the feed and skipping too many of it.
- Negative Posts on the platform
- Drop in Content Creation: If user is not creating new content at the same frequency as before
- Disengagement on Instagram: Can show they are disinterested in the social platforms and might lower from Threads as well
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